UT's Ash faces new type of QB competition

Updated 9:27 pm, Friday, September 14, 2012

AUSTIN, TX - SEPTEMBER 8: David Ash #14 of the Texas Longhorns throws a pass against the University of New Mexico Lobos on September 8, 2012 at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas.

AUSTIN, TX - SEPTEMBER 8: David Ash #14 of the Texas Longhorns throws a pass against the University of New Mexico Lobos on September 8, 2012 at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas.

Photo: Cooper Neill, Getty Images

UT's Ash faces new type of QB competition

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AUSTIN - David Ash beat Case McCoy during the offseason. That was the simple part.

The Texas quarterback competition continues, and it isn't just that Ash has to outperform the passers he trades repetitions with in practice. He's also expected to be better than the ones the Longhorns snubbed, and he'll see another of those Saturday night when No. 14 UT visits Mississippi.

Last January, Rebels quarterback Bo Wallace was viewed by the Longhorns as a possible Ash-McCoy alternative. He had set national passing records at East Mississippi Community College, and UT had just changed its junior-college recruiting philosophy to sign one of his teammates. After two consecutive years of dismal quarterback play in Austin, the possible quick fix of a junior-college transfer was an attractive option.

So UT offensive play-caller Bryan Harsin contacted Wallace, who told reporters this week he was open to the idea of becoming a Longhorn. But in the end, Harsin and coach Mack Brown did not to make an offer.

"Our decision was to stick with what we had," Brown said.

UT has made that same decision about other quarterbacks in recent years, and it has often led to regret.

By now Brown is sick of explaining why he didn't pursue Robert Griffin III or Andrew Luck, and he couldn't have been too heartened by what happened at Texas A&M last weekend.

That was when his former assistant, Florida coach Will Muschamp, used a halftime speech to implore his Gators to stop a dynamic, young A&M quarterback, Johnny Manziel, who Muschamp said UT only wanted as a safety.

Manziel slowed in the second half, and Wallace, who ranks No. 8 nationally in pass efficiency after two games, might crumble against a stout UT defense.

When their careers are over, Ash might prove to be the best quarterback of the group.

But he hasn't been, and that's why Saturday's matchup could be such a big step for him.

Ash acknowledged this week he "heard a few rumors" about UT talking to Wallace in January, and then said, "he's a great quarterback, and that's really all I can tell you."

At some point, Ash would like Longhorns opponents to say the same thing about him.

But even with as much improvement as he has shown in his decision-making this season - he has completed 36 of 49 passes (73.5 percent) without an interception - no one is calling him great yet.

This will be Ash's first start in a true road game since a 17-5 debacle last November at Missouri, and his first opportunity this season in a game with reasonable pregame doubt about the outcome.

Against Wyoming and New Mexico the past two weeks, Ash never faced much pressure, of either the "defenders bearing down on him" or "make a big play or else" variety. Saturday, there's a good chance he'll feel both.

If Ash finds a way to thrive in that environment, UT can finally start to forget about the ones who got away.

But if he turns the ball over and Wallace makes the Longhorns pay?

Ash will be stuck in a quarterback competition that's much more difficult to win.